This qualitative self-study examines the incorporation of service learning in 2 sections of a middle childhood undergraduate methods course. As a beginning teacher educator, I used self-study to explore the following research questions: (a) How does engaging in a service-learning project during a field experience influence middle level preservice…

A program titled Physical Education Programming Infusion (PEPI) was incorporated into a required science methods course for preservice classroom teachers (PCTs). Using the transformative learning theory and the social ecological model, the authors examined changes in PCTs' personal health behaviors and perceived barriers toward movement…

The capacity to conduct research is essential for university graduates to survive and thrive in their future career. However, research methods courses have often been considered by students as "abstract", "uninteresting", and "hard". Thus, motivating students to engage in the process of learning research methods has become a crucial challenge for…

The purpose of this research, conducted in a science methods course in Turkey, was to explore the qualities of hands-on science activities which might motivate preservice kindergarten teachers to use these activities in their own classrooms. Two similar classes totaling 47 students and taught by the same instructor were used in this study. On…

This study examined a writing methods course for early childhood preservice teachers (PSTs). Addressing the concerns for the teaching of writing, the course sought to engage PSTs in learning designed to create cognitive shifts concerning their perceptions about writing. The goal of the study was to analyze how a writing methods course mediated…

This case study explored the impact of a standards-based mathematics and pedagogy class on preservice elementary teachers' beliefs and conceptual subject matter knowledge of linear functions. The framework for the standards-based mathematics and pedagogy class in this study involved the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards,…

In this paper we discuss how a general theory of instruction called Concept-Focused Instruction (CFI) can assist in the professional development of prospective teachers. CFI provides prospective teachers with a foundation and logical decision-making process for selecting, designing, and teaching mathematics. First, we provide a theoretical and…

The growing interest toward case-based learning for teacher education can be attributed to the inherent potential of cases in terms of providing prospective teachers with opportunities to engage in analyzing and solving realistic teaching cases and to apply what they learned in classes to solve these practical teaching issues. The objective of…

A critical aspect of teacher education is gaining pedagogical content knowledge of how to teach science for conceptual understanding. Given the time limitations of college methods courses, it is difficult to touch on more than a fraction of the science topics potentially taught across grades K-8, particularly in the context of relevant pedagogies.…

This exploratory research project investigated graduate students' satisfaction levels with online learning associated with human (professor/instructor and instructional associate) and design factors (course structure and technical aspects) using a survey study. A total of 81 graduate students (master's students who majored in math and science…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of early childhood preservice teachers in a southeastern university as they worked for mastery of phonemic awareness, phonics, and morphemic awareness. Mastery was set at 90% accuracy in a series of tests, which required them to perform different tasks related to the said…

This study explores the science teaching efficacy beliefs of preservice elementary teachers and the relationship between efficacy beliefs and multiple factors such as antecedent factors (participation in extracurricular activities and number of science and science teaching methods courses taken), conceptual understanding, classroom management…

This article explores how preservice elementary teachers change their negative beliefs toward mathematics into positive ones after taking a mathematics methods course that follows the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) instructional method. Also explored is the relationship between those beliefs and sociomathematical authority. By administering…

This research studied the development of preservice teachers' understandings and attitudes about teaching science through playful experiences. Subjects were 94 senior preservice teachers in two sections of a science methods class on teaching preschool children. Data sources were semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaire at the…

Of great importance for achieving science education reform may be teachers' interest in science and enjoyment of science. This study explores the motivational qualities (rated for "interest," "fun," and "learning" value) of different levels of inquiry of hands-on class activities. The participants, 53 preservice teachers in two sections of a…